Process of making sanitary napkins



Aug. 26, 1930.- F. G. CRANE' 1,773,956

PROCESS OF MAKING SANITARY NAPKINS Original Filed Feb. 14. 1927 PatentedAug. 26, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK G. CRANE, OF MONTAGUE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO LOUIS E. EMSHEIMER,

- OF CLEVELAND, OHIO PROCESS OF MAKING SANITARY NAPKINS Originalapplication filed February 14, 1927, Serial No. 167,988. Divided andthis application filed February 13,- 1929.

The subject matter of this application is divided out of my pendingapplication Serial No. 167,988, filed February 14, 1927.

My invention particularly relates to improved processes of makingsanitary napkins, serviettes, or the like, which areadequately'absorptive for the purposes desired, but which, however, willnot permit leakage of the absorbed liquid and which are comfortable tothe wearer. The invention furthere relates to such improved processes inwhich a new and improved moisture-proofing composition of matter isutilized which is full described and claimed in said application erialNo. 167,988. The improved napkin, produced by my improved process ofmanufacture, and when made from certain materials, for instance, woodcellulose, is disintegrable as a whole in water, and can be readilydisposed of after use, in the usual toilet facilities, without anydanger of clogging the plumbing systems. Furthermore, the napkinprovidedby my improved process includes a pad portion which is comprised in itsentirety of the same material, and which in its entirety presentssubstantially the same appearance, flexibility, softness and disin--tegrability.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth indetailcertain steps comprising my, improved process, and show anddescribe two forms of napkin product produced by such improved process,such steps constituting, however, but one of the various series of stepsby which the principle of the'invention'may be carried out.

In said annexed drawing:

Figure l is a plan view of one of the filmlike sheets of which the padportion of a wood cellulose napkin, produced by my im proved process, iscomprised;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a number of sheets in assembledcondition;

Figure 3 is a persective view of a rumpledmass of four or five of saidsheets which have been treated to render them moisture-proof;

Figure 4 is aplanview of the sheets of Figure 3 after they have beenstraightened out and dried;

Figure 5 is a side elevation ofthe two porvent forming a vehicle for themoisture-proofclinging closely to the edges of the wood cel- Serial No.339,731.

tions comprising the napkin pad, one portion assembled upon,one face ofthe other portion;

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figure 5 in which one portion is assembledcentrally of the other portion; and

Figure 7 is a plan view, partially broken away, of the napkin padproduced by my improved process and assembled in a suitable containerand having suitable means for securing the same in use. I

In carrying out my improved process, I impregnate a small pad of Woodcellulose sheets so as to render it moisture-proof, the small pad thusimpregnated being unchangedin appearance, flexibility, softness anddisintegrability in water by the moisture-proofing process to which itis subjected. For this moisture-proofing step I use a suitable sol-' ingmaterials proper, the solvent which I preferably utilize being carbontetrachloride. For the moisture-proofing materials proper, I use acombination of materials, some of them being capable of almost completeabsorption by the wood cellulose fibers, but not filling the intersticesof the fibers, and other materials not being very absorptive by the woodcellulose fibers but clinging closer to the edges of the fiberinterstices, thus insuring perfect moisture-proofing and effectivelypreventing moisture penetration. The mois ture-proofing materials properwhich I preferably use are paraffin wax of any grade and paraflin-oil.The former is very absorptive by the wood cellulose fibers andthe'latter much less so. Instead of the parafiin-oil, I may use lanolin.Either the paraflin-oil or the lanolin is a heavy fatty oil suitable forlulose tissues without penetrating the tissues to any great extent. Ifdesired, a combination of the parafiin-oil and lanolin may be used, andin this event I term the combination by the coined Word Paralin.

The materials which I utilize forthis purpose, both as a solvent and asmoistureproofing materials proper, form the claimed subject matter of mysaid pending applicam tion Serial No. 167,988 from which the subthecarbon tetrachloride.

ject matter of this application is divided out.

In moisture-proofing the small pad of Wood cellulose sheets, of whichthe non-absorbent part of the napkin is comprised, this small pad may bemoisture-proofed separately, or the small pad combined withthecomparatively large absorbent pad to form the whole napkin pad, and thiswhole pad sprayed with the moisture-proofing materialso that a few ofthe outer wood cellulose films forming one face of the whole pad becomethus moistureproofed.

The proportions preferably used to effect the formation of thecomposition with which the small wood cellulose pad moisture proofedconsist in about 200 ounces of carbon tetrachloride to which are addedei ounces of paraffin wax out fine and 2 ounces of paraffin-oil orlanolin, or a combination of the latter two materials, these amounts andproportions making about one gallon of satisfactory moisture-proofingliquid. No heat is required for effecting a proper solution, completedissolving in the solvent of the paraffin and paraffin-oil beingeffected in about four hours. The moisture-proofing compound is thenready for use, occasional. agitation of the same being advisable. IfParalin is utilized, it may be found desirable first to form this bymoulding the lanolin and paraffiiroil, which step will require someheat, and then dissolving the Paralin and paraffin wax in Otherwise,all. the ingredients can be mixed together and allowed to stand for atleast four hours, with occasional agitation.

The paraffin-oil or the lanolin eliminates a certain stiffness from thewood cellulose which is caused by the use of paraffin wax alone.

After the sanitary napkin material has been treated with my improvedcomposition of matter and dried, it is very impervious to moisture, butsubstantially identical in ap pearance, flexibility, softness anddisintegrability with the untreated material. in fact, the dried treatedcellulose films are entirely identical with the untreated films exceptpossibly to the practiced eye of one who is engaged in the manufactureor qualified to judge them accurately and critically. Before drying, thetreated films present a somewhat darker appearance than the untreatedfilms. Although the various fibres of the films are thus renderedmoisture-proof, the integrity of the same is not destroyed, and even ifthe treated films have become a rumpled mass, still they can bestraightened out without damage and when dried present substantially theappearance of the untreated films.

Referring to the annexed drawing, I indicate by the ordinal 1 a singlefilm of wood cellulose of which the pad portion of a napkin produced bymy improved process is comprised. It is well known that'this materialcan be manufactured in Very thin and tenuous sheets, that it is highlyabsorptive, that it is light and flexible, can be comfortably wornadjacent to the human body, and is very disintegrable in water. 1 formthe pad of a multiplicity of these films 1 superposed as plainly shownin Figure 5, the whole pad being comprised of identical films. Acomparatively small number of these films 1, however, aremoisture-proofed' The moisture-proofing is effected by spraying the thinpad of films with the composition, or by any other suitable method thethin pad of films is impregnated with the composition. Preferably, whenusing the composition describcd and claimed in my pending applicationSerial No. 167,988, the method is by spraying because the solventevaporates very rapidly. Although the various fibers of the treatedfilms are rendered moistureproof, the integrity of the same is notdestroyed, and the rumpled mass of the four or five light tenuous filmsshown in Figure 3 can be straightened out without damage and when driedpresent the appearance shown in Figure 4 which corresponds with the filmshown in Figure 1 with the exception that the holes or perforations ofthe four or five said sheets in Figure 4: are covered somewhat by reasonof theplurality of sheets; whereas, the holes and perforations of thesingle film shown in Figure l are evident. if desired, enough of thefilms 1 to form a whole napkin pad may be assembled, and then this padsprayed with the moisture-pr0ofing composi tion so as to moisture-proofa few of the outer films on one face of the pad. Although the treatedtissues are effectively moistureproofed, they are not made impervious toair.

The entire pad is comprised of a great number of untreated films, 30 to4-0, assembled with the four or five treated films, as shown in Figure5. The incorporation of the two pad portions may take the form showneither in Figure 5, in which the two portions are superposed face toface, or the form shown in Figure 6 in which the comparatively shallowimpregnated non-absorbent portion 2 is positioned between the two partsof a subdivided materially thicker untreated absorbent portion 3.

The moisture-proofing to which the thin pad portion 2 is subjected doesnot adversely effect its disintegrability in water, so that the same isdisposed of in the usual toilet facilities in the same manner andconcurrentl y with the disposal of the untreated pad portion 3, thewhole pad being Washed away through the usual plumbing systems, eitherduring or subsequent to the disintegration, depending upon the hastewith which the system is flushed, the speed and volume of the rushinwater, etc.

The pa comprised of the portions 2 and 3 is encased in a suitablecontainer, the same usually consisting of a light gauze envelope 4provided with suitable securing means for attaching the napkin in use.These securing means usually take the form of extended tail portions 5formed upon the gauze container 4, as plainly shown in Figure 7.

In the process of manufacture of the napkin, large sheets of filmssimilar in texture to that shown in Figure l are superposed until a padblank portion of 30 to 40 said large sheets is assembled, and upon orbetween this large pad blank is superposed or incorporated acorrespondingly large pad blank of four or five treated non-absorbentfilms, and the assembled pad blank is fed adjacent suitable cuttingdevices which sever therefrom pad portions of a size suitable for thedesired napkins, as plainly shown in Figures 5 and 6. If themoisture-roofing is not eflected separately, then a pa blank ofsufficient film blanks to form napkin pads of the desired thickness isimpregnated so as to moistureproof a few of the film blanks upon oneside of the pad blank, and the pad blank, dried, and then the desirednapkin pads severed therefrom by suitable cutting devices. The gauzecontalners with the suitable securing means are incorporated with thepad portions as desired, either by assembling the pad blanks in a largecontainer blank and severing the napkins therefrom as a whole, or byassembling the separated pads in containers of a size suitable for onenapkin, after the several pads have been separated from the blanks.

What I claim is:

1. In a process of making absorptive nonleak sanitary napkins oflaminated formation, the steps of assembling in superposed relation amultiplicity of thin sheets of wood cellulose and then impregnating acomparatively small number of the sheets with a moisture-proofingmaterial comprised of ap proximately 3 parts of a mixture ofingredients, of which ingredients some are capable of almost completeabsorption by the wood cellulose fibers but do not materially fill theinterstices thereof, and the others of which ingredients are notmaterially absorbed but cling close to the fiber interstices, combinedwith parts of carbon tetrachloride.

2. In a process of making absorptive nonleak sanitary napkins oflaminated formation, the steps of assembling in superposed relation amultiplicity of thin sheets of wood cellulose and then impregnating acomparatively small number of the sheets with a moisture-proofingmaterial comprised of approximately 3 arts of paraflin and paraffinoilcombined wlth 100 parts of carbon tetrachloride.

Signed by me this 9th day of February,

